1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved machine for stripping baked photoresist from wafers used in the production of integrated circuit chips. More particularly, the invention relates to a machine which lifts each wafer from a boat, immerses the wafer in stripper solvent, optionally dips the wafers one at a time in an alcohol bath, rinses the wafer in deionized water or the like, dries the wafer and then deposits it in a boat for transportation to other processing facilities. The invention is characterized in that the stripping and rinsing steps are conducted by depositing wafers one at a time in vertically disposed turrets which are intermittently rotated.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, wafers have been loaded into trays, commonly termed "boats", containing many wafers. The boats with the wafers still retained therein have been treated in machines where a stripping solution is circulated around the wafers. The boats are then placed in rinsing and drying equipment. The wafers remain in the boats and the boats are individually transferred from one piece of equipment to the other.
An individual means for cleaning wafers is shown in Inoue Ser. No. 4,458,703, but the mechanism is quite different from that described herein.
A co-pending application of Rolf Moe and David Correia, Ser. No. 766,708, filed 8/19/85, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,355, issued Feb. 2, 1988, shows stripping of wafers individually, but again in a totally different manner.